Fourth Street Park a hoop haven

Jun. 11, 2008

From left, Jeff Williams, Gerrold Nixon, Akeem Edwards and Lee Carter play a pick-up game at the Fourth Street Park in Mount Vernon. Top players like the Bulls' Ben Gordon have honed their skills at the park. / Ricky Flores/The Journal News

Written by

Alex Myers

The Journal News

MOUNT VERNON - The signs on the outside only lay the typical ground rules for a public park. Surrounded by a chain-link fence, the playground's name or history isn't revealed to those passing by.

But for basketball enthusiasts in the area, the two courts don't need too much of an introduction.

Fourth Street Park has long been an outdoor hoops haven. And on a daily basis, those looking for a place to play trickle in by themselves or in groups from the city and beyond.

"People are always out here playing, just having fun and loving the game," 22-year-old Akeem Edwards of Mount Vernon said. "It doesn't matter if it's hot or cold, people come."

People have been coming to the corner of West Fourth Street and South Seventh Avenue in droves for years. From the Pharmacist of AND1 fame, who often still makes appearances, to Ben Gordon of the NBA's Chicago Bulls, if you're from Mount Vernon and you've made a name playing basketball, odds are you've proven yourself on this hallowed ground.

"You see Mount Vernon and all the championships," Edwards said. "This is where a lot of those players come from."

Under the summer's bright sun, the pavement can be scorching, and the action on the courts is just as hot. The playground, which is run by the Mount Vernon Department of Recreation, has drawn comparisons to Manhattan's storied Rucker Park.

Both courts are lighted and the sound of a ball dribbling can usually be heard until the park closes at 10 p.m. When it opens again at 8 every morning, it isn't unusual for pickup games to begin soon after.

On a recent overcast afternoon, Davidson and several of his friends played continually, switching teams every few minutes. The group seemed oblivious to the game of "city" going on at the other end of the court between Edwards and an older crew of people.

"We come here twice a week to hang out and have fun," said 13-year-old Lawrence Lin, who attends Mount St. Michael. "At school, we'll invite people to come, and we'll walk over after."

But the action isn't always so isolated between ages.

"We come here every day," Davidson said of himself and cousin Emanuel Smith. "We'll play against kids and against grown men to test our skill."

Davidson is one of the many kids who has been involved in the youth summer league at the park over the past few years. The league runs July through August for kids 6-15 and is run by the city's department of recreation.

Other players, like 20-year-old Jeff Williams, come to practice for summer leagues elsewhere.

"I come here a lot to play and get a workout," Williams said. "This is Fourth Street Park; this is the place to play."

But if you want to come play on Sunday, you better bring it. Starting bright and early, that's the day that the area's best, including current and former Mount Vernon High School players, show up to show off their skills.

"That's the day you come if you really want to be acknowledged for your game," Edwards said. "You know you have to have game to play here. It's not just any park."